


I Know You, and You Know Me

by Alonewithabook



Category: XOXO Droplets (Video Game)
Genre: Light Angst, M/M, Slow Burn, tattoo parlor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:02:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28292799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alonewithabook/pseuds/Alonewithabook
Summary: It's been about four years since high school, and Everett would tell you he's got this whole life thing figured out. But when a ghost from high schools past shows up in his life again, he has to decide what's more important to him, his pride or a chance at love.For Pran, he has gotten control of his life as he wanted. But having control means he has to make the big decisions. Can he really decide to go against the one person whose opinion means the most to him?Funny how life gets more complicated as the years pass by.
Relationships: Everett Gray/Pran Taylor, Jeremy King/Main Character | JB
Kudos: 4





	I Know You, and You Know Me

**Author's Note:**

> This is slightly self indulgent, but I have been on an Xoxo Droplets kick. I just want all of these jerks to be happy, but even as they get older they have to be a little difficult. But don't worry! There will be plenty of loving moments dispersed among the angst.

Everett quickly glanced at his phone to verify that he was at the right address. The asphalt in front of the building had clearly seen better days, as weeds peeked through in various spots. And the building itself was in need of a serious power wash.

Normally Everett wouldn’t be caught dead in a location like this. He was more about the city night life that he had come accustomed to once he left this town. But he was on a mission. 

He had plans since high school for tattoos. And unlike most people, he had good taste. He refused to let just anyone put art permanently on his body, and scoured various boards and artists on the internet for the right fit. That is when he came across an Instagram under the name PT_Art. 

The profile was filled with an array of life like artistry and abstract art. But what really caught his eye was the tattoos. Never in his life had he seen a tattoo artist play with color and shading the way this artist did.

A quick check of the accounts followers assured Everett that this artist was still unknown. And while it might be juvenile, he relished the idea of bragging about his tattoos done by such an obscure artist. 

Now that he’s here standing in front of the building, he feels the slight worry of uncertainty gnaw at his stomach. However, he rolled his shoulders and tried to give off that “I clearly don’t give a fuck” attitude he wore like a second skin. If he could pull off an unprompted encore for his dinner show in the middle of a bachelorette party on the Isla Castillo cruise ship, he could obviously handle this. 

Inside the building was not exactly what he expected. It gave a homey vibe than the dark and uninviting exterior, filled with mixed matched sofas and chairs and artwork all over the walls. He was pulled from his thoughts when a tiny woman with gorgeous ombré hair waved her hand to get his attention. 

“First time I’m guessing?”, she said while shuffling through some paperwork on her desk.

Everett immediately stiffened at the accusation ready to defend himself. His insult must have been clear on his face because when she finally looked up, she quickly replied.

“It’s not a bad thing! It’s just usually first timers seem kinda nervous walking in.” She then shifted her attention to the computer next to her before looking his way again. “Everett Gray right? Well even if it is your first time, I promise you you’re in good hands.”

He had to physically bite his tongue to hush the involuntary comments he felt rising in the back of his throat, comments about how he doesn’t need her concern because obviously he knows what he’s doing. And that she should save it for the next dumbass to stroll in. He instead snatched the paperwork she was offering him from her hands and moved to take a seat in the waiting room. 

The longer he sat in the waiting room, the more his nerves started to unsettle him. Sure he had a binder full of various ideas for tattoos, and sure he had done research on the concept for nights on end. Even though he hated to admit it, the woman at the front desk was right, he was nervous. 

He quickly pulled his phone from his pocket, to shoot a quick text to Nate, letting him know he made it. However before he could even open his phone, it buzzed in his hand flashing Nates name across the screen. It was scary how the man always seemed to be one step ahead of Everett, but after knowing him so long, he just accepted it was a fact of life.

Nate: Good luck, and try not to get something too obnoxious.

Just like Nate to parent him even into adulthood. Everett chuckled to himself before typing out a quick reply.

Everett: why jealous about how hot I’ll look in comparison? 

He saw the typing bubble from Nate immediately pop up on the screen and waited eagerly for the reply. 

Nate: Cute. I’m more concerned about your ability to commit to something for more than a month at a time. 

Damn Nate and his ability to read Everett even miles away. He hasn’t really had the best track record for commitment. Constantly on the seas for work, he couldn’t even stay in one location. But this was different, a thing he clearly craved. 

Before he could reply to Nate’s analysis of him, he heard his name called. And suddenly he was tossed back into the uneasy waters as he crossed the threshold into the back of the parlor. 

“Shit.” 

There was no way, no way what he was seeing was true. The flowing white hair, the warm complexion, the ridiculously bright clothing. All of these things seemed to ping in his head in rapid succession.

PT_Art.  
PT.  
Pran Taylor. 

God how could have missed that. How could he have been so stupid. He’s sure if he had even an ounce of Nate’s attention to detail, that association wouldn’t have passed him by. But he’s not Nate, he’s Everett. 

And the humiliation of being stuck in a room with a man who basically rejected him back in high school starts to set in. To make matters even worse, Pran only seemed to get hotter with age. 

He’d fully embraced that artist look, and the tattoos Everett could see wrapping around his forearms just brought to his attention how nice Pran’s arms really were. He put the thought in his back pocket and approached the man who still had his back turned toward him.

Upon hearing the footsteps, Pran finally turned to meet his latest client. His eyes quickly ranked over Everett in surprise, and it made the shorter man uncomfortable. Obviously he had to recognize him, it hadn’t been that long since the bullshit after school meetings they were subject to. But his expression was really hard to read, not so different from his younger years.

As quickly as the glancing had begun it was put to a stop as Pran cleared his throat and tried his best attempts to be professional. 

“This appointment is strictly to plan out the kind of work you would like to do. If you have any ideas, now is the time to show them.” He gestures to the two seats in the corner of the room, settling in with his sketchbook across his lap. “I do reserve the right to veto any work though.”

Okay, the plan is to ignore the gigantic elephant in the room. That he could work with. So he chose to ruffle around in his bag for his binder of ideas, and placed it in Pran’s lap on his way to his seat. He steadied his nerves as he watched the other man quickly flipping through the pages, grimacing and shaking his head all the while.

“No.” was the only reply he offered as he tossed the binder on the small table beside them, and turned to the sketch pad on his lap.

In an instant all the weird conflicting feelings turned directly into one that Everett knows all too well, anger. “No? Excuse the fuck out of me, but what do you mean no? It’s my body, how could you just sit there and tell me what I can and can’t put on it.” It was like the anger was a bubbling pot and the words were spilling over. How could he have even stopped to admire Pran? He was still the same exact man that he was back in high school, looks be damned. “You obviously have no idea what a good idea is, and I-.”

Everett stopped his ranting in its tracks as Pran looked up from his sketchbook to shoot Everett a scathing look. “The ideas aren’t bad.” was his only reply.

“If the ideas aren’t bad, why did you say no?”

“They aren’t bad, but they aren’t you.” Pran didn’t even glance up from his sketchbook for that. “I have something better in mind.”

As if Pran even knew who Everett really was. It’s not like they were close or anything. That role was reserved strictly for Nate and his mother and there wasn’t room for anyone else. Let alone someone as antagonizing on his emotions as Pran. “And what if I don’t like it?”

“Well, I don’t care right?”, Pran glanced quickly up at Everett to gauge his reaction before flashing him a small smile. 

That bastard. So he knows exactly what he’s doing. 

Everett didn’t choose to even dignify that slight jab with a response, instead examining Pran more closely as the other man worked swiftly at the paper in his lap.

It was strange being this close to him, and Everett had to admit, it also felt a little thrilling. He had to remind himself though, that this wasn’t some kind of a date. Pran was frustrating as he’d always been, and he didn’t care what the butterflies in his stomach said, he was above this. He didn’t have crushes, people had crushes on him.

Pran finally looked up from his sketchbook breaking the room of the easy silence that began. “Here.” pushing the book into Everett’s lap. “What do you think?”

What did Everett think? He so wanted to be able to rub it in Pran’s face that he hated the design. He wanted to be able to make a snippy remark that he didn’t know him because obviously he would never want something like this. But unfortunately Pran really was as talented as his Instagram showed. 

And although Everett wanted to save face as best as he could, he found himself nodding towards Pran, mumbling out, “Sure. I guess I could do something like this.” Just to make his indifference seem more genuine, he quickly added. “I mean I could make anything look cool, even this.” 

“Well then, you just need to set up an appointment at the front desk. We can get started as soon as possible.” Pran stood up from his seat and stretched his hand out towards Everett. He seemed a little unsure of how to end this encounter, so Everett leaned forward to meet his handshake in order to put both of them out of their misery. 

On his way out of the room, Everett heard his name called out and turned around to look at Pran one more time.

“I just wanted to say it was-,” he paused looking unsure of how to finish the sentence he’d begun. “It was nice seeing you again. I wasn’t expecting it.” 

Everett fought the smile creeping on his lips and replied, “Well this has gone about how I would have guessed, but yeah it was nice seeing you too.” 

And with that he turned around and made his way to the front desk, leaving Pran and the whole thing behind him. He could make his way out of the parlor, and never interact with him again. 

He didn’t have to see him. He’d been searching for so long for the right artist, but Pran wasn’t the only one out there. If he wanted to keep living his life with his memories of high school far behind him, he could. 

And yet the idea of doing that left a sinking feeling in his stomach. So he made that next appointment and headed on his way.

This was probably a terrible idea, but he was kind of curious how it would turn out. And if it blew up in his face, at least he’d have a cool tattoo to show for it. 

Now all that was left was breaking the news to Nate.

**Author's Note:**

> Well I hope you enjoyed this! It's kind of writing itself, but I seriously can't wait for the cuter moments between the two. Slow burn tortures the writer as well ya know.


End file.
